FGIA Certification Services Manager, Fenestration, Jason Seals stated:

This specification provides a method to evaluate the installed performance of newly installed storefronts, curtain walls and sloped glazing systems and their installation during construction for air leakage resistance and/or water penetration resistance under controllable, reproducible and appropriate conditions. When used as part of a comprehensive building commissioning program, AAMA 503 provides reasonable assurance that the installed fenestration products will perform to the specified or rated air leakage and/or water penetration performance levels with allowances given for field performance.

In this new edition, the Testing Criteria of Commercial Fenestration Updates Task Group completed a full technical review of the specification. A new section about significance and use was added. Sections addressing sampling, site preparation and responsible parties were expanded. The section on test procedures was also revised, clarifying that air leakage resistance testing under AAMA 503 is optional. Definitions of water penetration were also updated.

Seals continued:

The specifier or architect can use this document and the short form specification provided to easily communicate to all interested parties the required installed performance for air infiltration and/or water penetration. Following product installation, this document provides a structured, controllable and reproducible method for testing.

AAMA 503-24, Voluntary Specification for Field Testing of Newly Installed Storefronts, Curtain Walls and Sloped Glazing Systems, as well as other documents available from FGIA, may be purchased from the online store at the discounted member rate of $20 or the non-member price of $60.

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This is not surprising given that BIM contain a great deal of relevant information for facilities management operations ‒ for example, information about the composition of the building and the properties of building components.

This newfound interest in BIM consequently creates many questions, notes workplace management software provider Planon. The company created an e-book that includes five of the most frequently asked questions (FAQs) along with Planon’s answers to those questions.

Read this white paper to find the answer to these questions:

• What is BIM?
• What added value does BIM bring to facility management?
• Can a BIM be integrated with an integrated workplace management system?
• Is there a roadmap for successful BIM and IWMS integration?
• Can Planon’s IWMS software work with BIM data?

Download your free copy of this FAQ now by filling out the form at Planon.

The post FAQ: How can you benefit from BIM as a facility manager? appeared first on FMLink.

The two sessions from the Operational Excellence Virtual Summit are now available on-demand from fnPrime.

Session 1: Achieving Operational Excellence Through Commissioning and Retro-commissioning

Building commissioning is one of the most important processes for ensuring the systems within a newly constructed or renovated facility are operating efficiently. Retro-commissioning achieves the same goal for existing buildings. Travis Short, director of commissioning for Henderson Building Solutions, walks through the ins and outs of both processes and how they benefit facility operators, owners, and end users.

Session 2: Using Your Capital Wisely: What Every FM should Know About Operational and Capital Planning

Shrinking operational budgets, increasing deferred maintenance, and an organizational bias towards new construction rather than maximizing the life of existing facilities can lead to a sense of impending doom: “Why doesn’t anyone else see the problem? How much longer can this go on before we have a major system failure?” John Edwards, vice president and associate at Facility Engineering Associates, helps facility managers think about facility planning using economic principles for long-term management and help them shape future approaches for management of their portfolios.

The post Watch the Operational Excellence Virtual Summit on-demand appeared first on FMLink.

Join fnPrime on February 16 for the Operational Excellence Virtual Summit. The event takes place from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., Eastern. Attendees can earn two hours, or 0.2, Continuing Education Units.

The event includes the session “Achieving Operational Excellence Through Commissioning and Retro-commissioning” with Travis Short, director of Commissioning for Henderson Building Solutions.

Building commissioning is one of the most important processes for ensuring the systems within a newly constructed or renovated facility are operating efficiently. Retro-commissioning achieves the same goal for existing buildings. Short will walk through the ins and outs of both processes and how they benefit facility operators, owners, and end users. The session will also equip attendees with insights on how commissioning and retro-commissioning can boost energy reduction and sustainability.

The second education session is “Using Your Capital Wisely: What Every FM should Know About Operational and Capital Planning,” with John Edwards, vice president and associate at Facility Engineering Associates.

Shrinking operational budgets, increasing deferred maintenance, and an organizational bias towards new construction rather than maximizing the life of existing facilities can lead to a sense of impending doom: “Why doesn’t anyone else see the problem? How much longer can this go on before we have a major system failure?” This presentation will help facility managers think about facility planning using economic principles for long-term management and help them shape future approaches for management of their portfolios.

Your fnPrime membership allows you to attend this event for free (a $119 value). Click here to register.

The post Feb. 16: Attend fnPrime’s Operational Excellence Virtual Summit appeared first on FMLink.

An overview of the launch plan recently was presented to industry leaders at an executive roundtable to accelerate ongoing efforts from innovative and forward-thinking organizations.

A critical issue in the U.S. construction industry is its low level of digitalization, which prevents it from transforming lifecycle work processes to be more efficient, less expensive, more resilient, and safer to build and maintain, says NIBS. The U.S. National BIM Program expands upon existing and ongoing work of the NIBS BIM Council as well as various other initiatives in the industry.

Stephen T. Ayers, FAIA, Interim CEO of NIBS, stated:

Many national and international initiatives focus on BIM standardization to support digital transformation throughout the entire life cycle of designing, constructing, and operating the built environment. The U.S. National BIM Program will be successful through collaboration between the public and private sectors and across the diversity of project stakeholders, namely owners, designers, constructors, suppliers, vendors, and other involved parties.

To aid in the implementation and launch of the U.S. National BIM Program, AEC subject matter expert Johnny Fortune joined NIBS in June. Fortune serves as director of the National BIM Program. Fortune said next steps include securing resources and establishing workgroups to operationalize different aspects of the plan.

U.S. National BIM Program background

NIBS began the planning process for the U.S. National BIM Program last year, meeting and working with industry leaders. Since then, many volunteers and NIBS staff members have worked to develop the implementation plan, which includes key activities and an estimated budget for the first five years.

The construction industry employs more than seven million people to create or renovate nearly $1.4 trillion in buildings, infrastructure, and other built assets each year. But the industry has yet to enjoy the productivity improvements of the digital age, averaging only 1% productivity growth in the past 20 years, points out NIBS.

Read about the implementation and launch plan for the U.S. National Building Information Management (BIM) Program on the NIBS website.

The NIBS BIM Council has focused on capturing the requirements of U.S. building owners to document best practices and provide guidance on the adoption of digital technology to increase productivity and performance. Examples include the United States National CAD Standard (NCS), National BIM Standard-United States (NBIMS-US), National BIM Guide for Owners (now a Draft Standard with ASHRAE), and Construction to Operations Building information exchange (COBie) Specification.

The National Institute of Building Sciences, authorized by public law in 1974, is a nonprofit, nongovernmental organization that brings together labor and consumer interests, government representatives, regulatory agencies, and members of the building industry to identify and resolve problems and potential issues around the built environment.

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Jim Magee, CxA, EMP, ACG Guideline Committee chair, pointed out:

The ACG Building Systems Commissioning Guideline is a major leap forward, not only in its depth and breadth of information, but also in offering providers actionable guidance on implementation. The new edition tackles the what, when, who, and most importantly, the how.

The ACG Commissioning Guideline was first published by AABC in 2002 and then updated and republished three years later by the newly independent AABC Commissioning Group (ACG). The ACG Commissioning Guideline of 2005 has been widely recognized as a valuable resource that explains the commissioning process properly and concisely. The building systems commissioning industry has evolved and expanded in the 17 years since ACG released its guideline.

ACG President Troy Byers, P.E., CxA, remarked:

The move to a more systems- and best practices-oriented approach, and a digital, easily updated delivery format for the all-new Guideline, reflects the evolution of our dynamic discipline of building commissioning. The release of the new Guideline is both the capstone of a three-year effort by dedicated volunteers, and the beginning of an ongoing process to keep the content fresh for years to come.

ACG has designed the ACG Building Systems Commissioning Guideline as an all-digital living document that will be regularly improved, updated and expanded. Subsections include discipline-specific commissioning topics on electrical systems, HVAC systems, exterior enclosure systems, plumbing systems, life safety systems, and existing building commissioning (EBCx).

The association extended its deep appreciation to the many members of the ACG Building Systems Commissioning Guideline Committee and its chairman Jim Magee.

The ACG Building Systems Commissioning Guideline is available to preview and purchase on the ACG website. ACG and EMA members receive complimentary access as part of member benefits.

ACG is a community of professionals dedicated to providing the best service while advocating the independence of firms providing commissioning services. The ANSI-accredited and DOE Better Buildings-recognized CxA certification program is accepted by municipalities and governmental specifications across the nation as a qualifying credential for work in various types of commissioning services.

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The WBDG’s Building Commissioning section presents information about current approaches and processes as well as overcoming challenges and emerging issues. It also has been expanded to address Existing Buildings and Ongoing Commissioning.

Stephen T. Ayers, FAIA, interim CEO of NIBS, stated:

The Whole Building Design Guide is a crucial resource. The built environment should be informed by the latest in research. The WBDG is the only web-based portal to provide one-stop information on a wide range of building-related guidance, criteria, and technology.

The WBDG is organized into four major categories: (1) Design Recommendations, (2) Project Management / Operations & Maintenance, (3) Federal Facility Criteria, and (4) Continuing Education. At the heart of the Guide are hundreds of Resources Pages, reductive summaries on a variety of topics.

Development of the WBDG is a collaborative effort among federal agencies, private sector companies, nonprofit organizations, and educational institutions.

Gerald J. Kettler, PE, CCP, CIAQM, TBE, BEAP, REM, CEM, managing principal and owner of Facility Performance Associates, helped spearhead the Commissioning section update. Kettler explained:

The commissioning process is an emerging and growing industry where the entire commissioning team, including design, construction and operations, needs to communicate and understand their functions to maximize the results of the project. This understanding that commissioning is not an event but a process that extends from project start through design, construction and operation benefits all team members. The commissioning industry needs to provide information and training to enhance the process as it has done in this WBDG revision.

For more information, see the Building Commissioning section on the Whole Building Design Guide site. NIBS brings together labor and consumer interests, government representatives, regulatory agencies, and members of the building industry to identify and resolve problems and potential issues in the built environment.

The post Whole Building Design Guide expands building commissioning resources, including for existing buildings appeared first on FMLink.

Most of the time demolition projects are akin to watching paint dry, but bad things can happen very quickly if risk is not managed correctly. Management of change takes on an entirely new meaning on a project where the skyline is changing by the hour.

The safest and most cost-effective way to get a project through completion is to spend more time on planning upfront. Extra due diligence during the planning stage can also result in innovation.

Different people in different industries, or even different departments, use relative terms for the closure process, also referred to as demolition. In general, there are two types of demolition contractors:

1. Commercial: contractors that specialize in taking down buildings and houses in downtown settings outside of an industrial facility
2. Industrial: contractors that specialize in the partial or total removal of industrial facilities

Each project is unique and requires a custom technical plan to perform demolition safely and economically. While there are nuances between the different industries that may cause operational differences, most hazards, risks and procedures are similar.

Having a trust-yet-verify attitude, a well-defined plan and the selection of best-in-class contractors to perform the work is the proven means to achieve successful completion.

Lastly, an organization is encouraged to have a corporate end-state vision and communicate that vision in a manner contractors can understand. If an owner is not certain of the desired objective, how can a contractor be expected to submit a viable proposal?

It is also important to solicit input from all stakeholders on their end-state vision. There are too many instances in which corporate divisions voice competing goals after the contract is signed. This usually results in significant change orders. The divisions the contractor will typically meet and work with include procurement, engineering, maintenance, legal, real estate, investment recovery, operations and environmental.

Options analysis

Part of the due diligence process entails deciding which disposition option best satisfies the owner’s objective. Some owners elect to sell the property to environmental liability transfer companies that might purchase the entire site, including the assets, then bond around the environmental liability.

Consequently, the environmental transfer company becomes responsible for the site clearance and final disposition. It is highly advised organizations thoroughly evaluate future liability with an environmental attorney before choosing this option.

Examples of other options include:

• Scope and budget development – The closure process does not start until the scope is framed and a budget is developed. A large part of every facility closure project is offsetting as much cost as possible through the strategic liquidation of surplus assets. Regardless of the strategy chosen, organizations need to be aware of the approximate value of the recyclable assets before going out for bids. Some organizations leave it up to the demolition contractor to determine that value during the bidding process. That equates to asking someone to hold your wallet without knowing what is in it. Companies learn to look at scrap and surplus as revenue that can be used to cover cost. Further, they should have a good idea of the value before going out for bids.
• Asset retirement obligation (ARO) study – In many cases, companies are required to have an ARO study performed to determine the financial obligation for returning the site to the original condition upon closure. This should have a matrix that includes inflation for the expected project start date.
• Complete or partial site clearance – Companies sometimes elect to perform the above-grade demolition first and wait to perform below-grade work/remediation when additional funds are available.
• Retain property or sell/lease – May require some partial demolition and remodeling. Interior demolition is normally selective and must be done under the guidance of an architect and professional engineer.
• Repurposing – Considers leaving and possibly remodeling certain structures to make property marketable for other applications.
• Brownfield initiative – Site redevelopment grants can help cover costs associated with clearing sites that meet brownfield criteria.

Types of services

Each step of the process requires local, state and federal permits as needed to proceed.

Environmental

Phase I Environmental Site Assessment identifies any possibility the site might be contaminated.

Phase II Environmental Site Assessment is an “intrusive” investigation that collects original samples of soil, groundwater and/or building materials to quantify and analyze contaminants.

Phase III Environmental Site Assessments aim to delineate the physical extent of contamination based on recommendations made in Phase II assessments.

Decommissioning

• Preparation of the site for demolition – the selective disconnect of utilities and product purge
• Capturing or encapsulation of asbestos and lead paint
• Historical and environmental records retention, artifacts, etc.
• Hazardous and regulated materials surveys
• Procurement for deactivation

Deactivation

• Plant shut down
• Lock-out/tag-out
• Selective utility disconnects
• Procurement for decontamination/abatement

Decontamination/Abatement (Can be considered Phase 1 demolition)

• Bringing the facility into environmental compliance
• Hazardous and regulated material abatement and disposal (including universal wastes)
• Subsurface remediation (either before or after the demolition)
• Procurement for demolition

Demolition

• Sometimes hazmat abatement occurs in this step
• Total or partial removal
• Recoup value of recyclable and salvage materials
• Site restoration

Framing the scope of work

Once owners have chosen an option, the scope must be framed to clearly define what is and what is not included. Here are some do’s and don’ts of scope development:

Do’s

• Be clear, concise and eliminate gray areas.
• Define expectations and limitations.
• Provide relevant drawings that show weights, dimensions, elevations and metallurgy of major items.
• Provide locations where the contractor can find asset values that can be used to offset costs. While the ferrous scrap has a value, the nonferrous scrap can sometime reduce costs to close to zero, or even a net positive.
• Divide the project into sections that are defined on a color-coded plot plan. Require the proposals to be submitted by area. Not only will this help compare apples to apples during the bidding process but will provide definitive milestones for progress payments.
• Delineate boundaries of where the scope starts and stops on all sides.
• For purposes of bidding, include relevant assumptions to keep all contractors on an even keel.
• Clearly identify what will remain active and must be protected (i.e., live pipelines, process equipment, parking lots, roads, sewers, utilities, etc.)

Don’ts

• Don’t include too many finite details – the less significant items can be negotiated with the shortlist and eventually the successful bidder.
• Don’t include too many drawings – if a contractor is inundated with unnecessary drawings there is a good chance critical information might be missed.
• Don’t tell the contractor how to perform the work.
• Don’t bury the scope and expectations in hundreds of pages of unnecessary documents. Both should be front and center.

Contractor selection

Start by developing a list of trusted contractors. Whether prequalification services are used or performed in-house, remember junk in/junk out. It is important to verify the safety statistics. Other qualities to look for include, but are not limited to:

• Continuous employee training: mentoring is more the norm than the exception in demolition
• Adequate insurance and bonding capacity
• Contractual trickle-down policies of owner requirements to all subcontractor and suppliers
  • A great safety record and HSE program
  • Employee retention and experience
  • Quantity and type of available company-owned equipment
  • Financial stability and experience on similar projects in similar industries
  • Experience to effectively use asset recovery to offset costs
  • Commitment of the management and length of time in business
  • Remember: A great company could have a mediocre crew or a mediocre company could have a great crew – evaluate both
  • History of cost-saving innovations that have saved past clients’ money
  • Third-party waste stewardship protocols for scrap and other waste streams
  • Litigation and record for regulatory compliance

Contracting strategies

How many contracts should an owner issue?

Examples of common contracting strategies include:

• Lump sum – typically used in situations where the work can be visibly quantified
• Unit price – often used in situations where the work cannot be visibly quantified but can be billed in relevant units such as square foot, cubic yard, ton, etc.
• Time and material – situations where unit price or lump sum would not be appropriate
• Hybrid – all the above (on larger projects a hybrid strategy typically results in significant cost savings)

Bidding process

• Provide the request for proposal and schedule the site visit to allow enough time for contractors to plan. If enough time is not allowed their costs will be loaded with unnecessary contingencies.
• Provide an accurate and complete hazardous material survey.
• Encourage innovations and alternate bids.
• Often the low bid is not the best bid. If a contractor finds a major mistake was made, they are going to request change orders over losing millions of dollars.
• Ask for a breakdown of quantities, grades of metals and values by area.
• Evaluate the schedule – is it realistic? Can the contractor move the quantities noted in the time allotted with the resources assigned?
• Develop a short list and negotiate with the contractor the best value proposition.
• Remember: If a contractor cannot explain how they plan to safely complete the work, they might not be the right choice.

Typical phased work sequence

A phased approach to work performance is critical to managing schedule slippage. Using this approach, the work can start in multiple areas at the same time. In many cases, if work stoppage occurs in one area the crew can be moved to another area to avoid change orders associated with downtime. Examples include:

• Mobilization by discipline:

  • Utility disconnect: electrical, gas, steam lines, water lines, sanitary and storm sewer lines, pressure air lines, tank vent lines, fiber optic lines, USTs, phone lines, etc.; followed by
  • Safe-out-hazard analysis and implementation of remedial measures, removal of combustible material, establishment of exclusion zone, issuance of necessary work permits, structural surveys, installation of barricades, both hard and soft, etc.; followed by
  • Removal of universal wastes; followed by
  • Purging and cleaning of lines and equipment; followed by
  • Hazardous and non-hazardous materials abatement; followed by
  • Removal of concrete to grade; followed by
  • Removal of concrete below grade; followed by
  • Removal or abandonment of below grade sewers and pipelines; followed by
  • Site restoration

• Demobilization by discipline

Asset recovery

Asset recovery is the process of recovering, reusing and recycling assets for the highest dollar possible. The more value a contractor credits from asset recovery, work completed.

Organizations need to know the difference in value of the various metals and equipment at the facility. If something has value, even if only through landfill avoidance, it can be used to offset costs. While owners should not guarantee the presence, grades and quantities associated with value, it is beneficial to highlight this potential value to contractors.

In bidding, a contractor will evaluate the cost to satisfy all tasks associated with the scope of work including overhead and profit. They will then deduct the scrap and salvage credits to finalize their bid. If a contractor has a gross cost of US$1 million and a net salvage credit of US$800,000, owners can expect to be charged US$200,000 to have their work performed. Subsequently, if the cost is US$1 million and the credit is US$1.2 million, owners may expect to be paid US$200,000 for salvage rights to the work.

Put another way, if the contractor’s composite cost to perform the work is US$350 per ton and the composite value is US$200 per ton, an owner could be expected to be charged US$150 per ton. If there are a lot of metal alloys or other asset salvage on the project and the composite cost is US$350 per ton, the composite value might reach US$8,000 per ton. The additional revenue could be used to pay for non-revenue producing tasks such as asbestos abatement and trash disposal.

The scrap market can be volatile, especially non-ferrous. Some contractors might not guarantee asset recovery credits over the entire course of a long project. Experienced contractors can coordinate with the recycling facilities to lock in value for negotiated periods of time. Hedging, as it is called, is an excellent tactic but has additional risks commensurate to the rewards.

If hedging is not a possibility, scrap prices can be tied into monthly indices such as COMEX, AMM, LME, etc. On projects with significant asset recovery credits, it might be advantageous for the organization to form a revenue sharing arrangement with the contractor. If set up properly this could yield significant additional revenue.

Liabilities/lessons learned

There is a saying in the demolition world, “Know what you have before you have it, because once you have it, it’s yours.” The following are more risks to avoid or manage:

• Establish a point of transfer of ownership for material leaving the jobsite. If a truck turns over en route to the recycling facility or scrap falls off the truck on the highway, who is responsible? If a worker at the recycling facility is injured handling scrap that might have come from the jobsite, who is responsible?
• The contractor should have formal agreements in place with scrap buyers, salvage buyers, landfills, trucking companies, subcontractors, etc., establishing limits of liability, indemnification language, insurance and remedial measures to protect the owner’s interest.
• Product liability concerns: If the contractor sells an item of process equipment to an end-user and the item malfunctions, who is responsible? This risk can be mitigated by requiring a certificate of destruction on everything leaving the jobsite. The highest risks are from specialized items that were specifically designed for the owner’s organization.
• All contractors should have a program in place to prevent blood lead levels from becoming dangerously elevated. That includes pre- and post-project blood lead level testing of all workers that might be exposed to lead. If the worker had high blood lead levels prior to coming to the project and it was not documented, it could be assumed the contamination came from the current project.
• CERCLA liabilities: In the current environmental climate, it is as important to prove what was done as well as what was not done 20 years from now. Require the contractor to provide a complete digital record of the disposition trail of everything removed (recyclable and nonrecyclable). Requiring a third-party waste stewardship program (TPWS) that implements best practices is one way to be a good steward and manage future environmental risks. Some elements of a TPWS program include:
• Ensuring the corporate safety and environmental culture is adopted by everyone in the chain of disposition
• Employ strict material identification, loading and waste management protocols at the jobsite to prevent mishandling, mischaracterization or cross contamination
• Require TPWS audits and monitoring at all facilities in the chain of disposition

Contractor frontloading the project: Never forget assets have value. Trust yet verify the contractor is operating in good faith. If the contractor is allowed to remove 80 percent of the value from the project while only performing 20 percent of the work, an owner’s ability to negotiate a dispute is reduced since they might have to complete 80 percent of the work on a budget of only 20 percent of the revenue needed.

In these projects, it is important for facility managers to have subject matter expert guidance on all phases of the process including budget development, asset retirement obligation studies, go/no-go analysis, risk identification and evaluation, bid preparation, contractor prequalification and selection, safety/technical plan review, identification of work tasks that pose the greatest risk.

The post The end of the line: FM’s role in decommissioning a facility appeared first on FMLink.

During the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, many staffs worked either remotely or minimized the number of employees that could be present in order to maintain social distancing. Once again, drones could be utilized to improve productivity.

In this 3:39-minute video, Amr Raafat, vice president of VDC and technology for Windover Construction, describes a case study during the pandemic in which drones were used for thermal scanning. In a 20-minute flight, the drones can quickly detect sources of water leaks or heat loss.

The post Drone benefits soar during the pandemic appeared first on FMLink.

This national standard is the American Society of Civil Engineers’ (ASCE) most widely used standard and is an integral part of building codes in the United States and around the globe. Structural engineers, architects and those engaged in preparing and administering local building codes will find the 2022 edition of the structural load requirements essential to their practice, and facilities managers and owners may be interested in what their buildings are designed to withstand.

Tom Smith, ASCE executive director, stated:

Civil engineers are responsible for the design of the buildings and structures we work, live, and play in every day, and we must ensure those structures are safe for the public. With weather hazards becoming more extreme, this updated standard is essential to improve the resilience of our communities.

Ronald Hamburger, P.E., S.E., F.SEI, senior principal with Simpson Gumpertz & Heger, Inc., and chair of the ASCE 7-22 committee, remarked:

For more than 20 years, U.S. building codes have relied on the ASCE 7 standard as the authoritative source for specification of loads and related criteria used by engineers to design safe, economical, and reliable structures. Every six years, hundreds of volunteer professional civil and structural engineers, researchers, building officials, and construction professionals collaborate to update the standard, acknowledging new engineering research, evolving construction techniques, and society’s changing expectations and concerns. The 2022 edition includes first-ever criteria for tornado-resistant design and substantial improvements to the design criteria for atmospheric icing, earthquake, tsunami, rain, snow, and wind.

The 2022 edition of ASCE 7, which supersedes ASCE/SEI 7-16, provides the most up-to-date and coordinated loading provisions for general structural design. Informed by past events including Hurricane Michael in 2018 and the Joplin Tornado in 2011, this standard prescribes design loads for all hazards including soil, flood, tsunami, snow, rain, atmospheric ice, seismic, wind, and fire, as well as how to evaluate load combinations.

ASCE points out that ASCE/SEI 7-22 is different from past versions because, for the first time, the digital data is available via open access from the ASCE 7 Hazard Tool so that anyone can view the hazards that are relevant to their local community.

Environmental hazards used for building design were all updated, specifically including:

• New wind speeds along the hurricane coastline;
• Improved tsunami run-up for highly populated West Coast locations;
• Increased accuracy of seismic design criteria;
• New national snow design data;
• Risk-specific atmospheric ice criteria; and
• A completely new chapter for tornado loads.

In addition, ASCE 7-22 modernizes design requirements for cutting-edge mass timber systems and composite concrete and steel systems, as well as for big box stores/warehouses, ground-mounted solar facilities, and elevated buildings.

“The addition of tornado loads represents a nearly decade-long collaboration between NIST and ASCE to significantly advance safety and resilience for buildings at risk of tornado impacts,” said Marc Levitan, Ph.D., A.M.ASCE, of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), who chaired the ASCE 7-22 Task Committee that developed the new tornado provisions.

In addition to the print version of ASCE 7-22 — available as a two-volume paperback set or as a PDF — ASCE 7 Online is a subscription service that provides digital access to ASCE/SEI 7-22, as well as to the previous 2016 and 2010 editions, with enhanced features that make it faster and easier to work in the Standard.

Functionality exclusive to ASCE 7 Online includes:

• Side-by-side display of the provisions and commentary;
• Redlining to track changes between editions;
• Real-time updates of supplements and errata;
• Two-level corporate vs. personal annotations; and
• Toggling between Customary and SI unit measurements.

Corporate subscriptions are available. For more information, contact asce7tools@asce.org.

To purchase the print or PDF version of ASCE/SEI 7-22 or to subscribe to the ASCE 7 Online digital platform, visit the ASCE website. Founded in 1852, ASCE represents more than 150,000 civil engineers worldwide and is America’s oldest national engineering society.

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